Research Funding Collaboration

The Research Funding Collaboration is a national partnership between the American Osteopathic Association’s Council on Research and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation. Research funding is designed to support quality scientific research as a critical part of improving health care through the promotion of osteopathic medicine. Leveraged funding will investigate issues that will lead to enhanced medical care as well as a better understanding and more effective application of the principles and practices of osteopathic medicine. For more information about the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, please visit OsteopathicHeritage.org.

These are the Grant Awardees resulting from the national partnership between the American Osteopathic Association’s Council on Research and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation.

Grant Awardees | Fellowship Awardees | SOMA Fellowship Awardees | AOA/ONCOR Resident Fellowship Awardees

2012 Grant Awardees

Sherman Gorbis, DO
Michigan State University COM (MSUCOM)
"The Effect of OMT on Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease:  Correlating Pulmonary function Tests with Biochemical Alterations”

Gilbert Siu, DO, PhD
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey SOM (UMDNJ-SOM)
"Efficacy of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment After Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty"

2011 Grant Awardees

Brian C. Clark, PhD
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
“Neurophysiologic Mechanisms of Non-Impulse Manual Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain”

Brian F. Degenhardt, DO
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM/ATSU)
"Use and Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine in the Clinical Setting"

Marcel Fraix, DO, FAAPMR
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (WesternU/COMP)
"Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) and Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) Alone or in Combination on Balance and Visual Function in Patients with Vertigo and Somatic Dysfunction"

Jeremy J. Houser, PhD
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM/ATSU)
"Investigating Objective Functional Characteristics to Differentiate Subgroups in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients"

Paul R. Standley, PhD
University of Arizona (UA)
"In Vitro Myofascial Release and Wound Healing"

Thad E. Wilson, PhD
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
"Effect of Osteopathic Manipulation on Skin Sympathetic Nerve Activity"

2010 Grant Awardees

Fabian Benencia, PhD
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
“Mechanisms of Immune Modulation by Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment-Induced Cytokine Release”

Leonard H. Calabrese, DO
Cleveland Clinic
“Osteopathic Empathy and Holistic Healing/Developing Empathy During Osteopathic Medical Education”

Lisa H. Hodge, PhD
University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth)/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSCFW/TCOM)
“Lymphatic Pump Treatment on the Clearance of Influenza and Influenza Complicated by Bacterial Pneumonia”

John Licciardone, DO, MS
University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth)/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSCFW/TCOM)
“Cost-Effectiveness of Osteopathic Health Care: A National Study Based on the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey”

Paul R. Standley, PhD
University of Arizona
“In Vitro Modeling of Myofascial Release in 3-Dimensional Human Fibroblast Constructs”

2009 Grant Awardees 

Kristie Grove Bridges, BS, PhD
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)
“Salivary Alpha-Amylase as a Biomarker of the Response to OMT”

Jacek Cholewicki, PhD
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM)
“The effect of osteopathic manual therapy on postural control in patients with low back pain”

Brian F. Degenhardt, DO
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM/ATSU)
“Determining the Clinical Value of Positional Asymmetry Tests of the Pelvis - Phase I”

Mary Goldman, DO
Genesys Regional Medical Center – GRMC
“Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Short Term Effects in Hospitalized Patients"

Richard Hallgren, PhD
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM)
“Use of EMG Data to Investigate the Functional Role of Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor Muscles”

Michael L. Kuchera, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
“High-Tech/High-Touch Translational Care for Multiple Sclerosis:  Integrating OMT, Periodic Acceleration Therapy and Therapeutic Magnetic Resonance with IsoPUMP Maximal Effort Exercise”

John C. Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA
University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth)/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSCFW/TCOM)
“Mechanisms of Action of OMT for Chronic Low Back Pain”

Neil J. Sargentini, PhD
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM/ATSU)
"New Rat Model for Pain, Relief by Manual Therapy, and Gene Expression”

Xiangrong Shi, PhD
University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth)/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSCFW/TCOM)
“Cranial Osteopathy and Cerebral Tissue Oxygenation”

Joseph Vorro, BS, MA, PhD
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM)
“Interexaminer Reliability, Validity, and Outcomes Study of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for Patients with Cervical Somatic Dysfunction Using Three Dimensional Kinematics”

2008 Grant Awardees